


Lean on me

by Gadhar, wanderingsmith



Category: The Expendables (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-27 05:35:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6271816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gadhar/pseuds/Gadhar, https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderingsmith/pseuds/wanderingsmith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Aww, don't get all outa shape about it, Barney; your image is safe. Cute's the new cool."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lean on me

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I ain't got no money, and nobody'd be daft enough to pay me for this. As it is thought, so let it be said; you make the toys, I play with 'em.
> 
> this was more email exchanges, started with this. and my commenting on the heads on shoulders comment therein  
> http://www.queerty.com/college-guy-realizes-his-best-friend-might-be-his-boyfriend-in-the-most-adorable-way-possible-20151028

"Barney, Tool said you *have* to go to this thing or you'll lose your business license and we'll be constantly dodging shit right here at home!" 

"Fine. Then you damn well come with me." 

"Why the hell would I do that?? It's *your* bloody business!" 

"And you're my second in command. And if *I* have to sit through this shit, you can damn well come along and keep me from falling asleep." 

Lee narrowed his eyes at the practically *pouting* mercenary, "Fine. Then I want equal vote on job decisions." 

"What?? ...Oh fine. Not like you give me any peace, anyway." 

\--

Of course he's not even bothered by how completely fucking *boring* this is! Bastard. 

Lee crossed his arms; silently snarling when even that tiny fucking movement made his damn plastic chair squeak in the eerily silent auditorium and the sweaty-suited guy in front turned to glare at him. His jaw clenched as the guy turned back forward and Lee dropped his head to his chest. Knowing he couldn't move made him feel like he'd jump out of his skin. He looked besides him: and fucking Barney sat there as still as a guard, looking like he had all the time in the world before self-combustion from frustration became an issue.

Hearing the goddamn presenter's drone startup again on a whole new topic, he breathed out hard through his nose to keep from exploding. Fuck! If he at least had a fucking headrest he could lean back and close his eyes... he darted a look besides him. Hell, as well make use of being pressed like a sardine. 

Of course the chair squeaked, no matter how he controlled his sideways tilt, but he kept his eyes closed and just settled his head on Barney's shoulder. Not exactly a 5-star soft feather pillow, but it was wide enough that Lee could rest on it without effort. He felt himself start to relax as he focused on the body pressed against him: smell of familiar cigars, less familiar aftershave not quite overpowering the old shirt's sweat and Barney's skin, warmed by the overheated room. As familiar and safe as his own sleeping bag.

 

He'd been trying to ignore Lee's unhappy jittering, knowing he was miserable without a target to focus on, but when he felt the man's heavy skull suddenly on his shoulder, Barney's head turned to give him a disbelieving look. Typically, Lee felt him and didn't bother looking at him as he grumbled, almost too low to hear, "What?? *You* were the one pulling me into a hug in a crowded *bar* the other day. I'm tired."

He could hardly argue with that. Barney turned back to pretending to listen to the stultifying voice, most of his attention sticking to Lee as he seemed to fall into a light drowse for the rest of the thing; that warm presence breathing against him relaxing Barney enough that he wasn't even annoyed at having to be there, anymore. Even if his ass was going square from the fucking seat.

The speech finally ended, and people started getting up all around them, Lee continuing to sleep, field-trusting the noise to Barney, who stayed in his seat. Better to let Lee sleep until they could actually get out; he'd just start jittering and ranting and making people nervous if they stood waiting with the rest of the sheep. 

Entertaining himself by trying to remember every step of Kasparov's game against Topalov in the book he'd been reading, Barney automatically tracked the two 40something women in feminine business suits when they stepped aside from the milling herd to lean over the seats between Barney and the aisle.

He hadn't decided whether to scowl yet when their smiles shifted from him to Lee and back before the one spoke quietly, "You guys are just so cute together." With a last smile and even a damn *wave*, they melted back into the finally moving crowd, and Barney was left to recover from the shock.

 

The stiffness of his pillow finally pulled Lee out of the warm rest and he frowned up at Barney, not quite willing to lift his head, yet, "What the hell's the matter with you?"

Barney hesitated, but then finally grumbled, staring at Lee with an indecipherable look, "Some lady just walk by and called us 'cute'."

Lee finally raised his head, slowly grinning, "Aww, don't get all outa shape about it, Barney; your image is safe. Cute's the new cool."

And Barney finally relaxed, a familiar wry fond smirk coming out, "You just made that up." 

\--

Whether in peace offering or as a pointed you *slept*, Barney threw him the keys to the truck as they stepped in the parking lot, and Lee grinned, glad to be away from the crowd and finally *doing* something. 'Course he had to raz his pal for the oversized transport, though; wasn't like he used it to actually haul anything but his own arse! 

They were still exchanging jeers as Barney unlocked his front door and Lee automatically followed him in. Wasn't like he had anywhere else to hurry, and Barney never kicked him out. Comfy couch, old western on the telly, good cold beers; homey and easy. Not exactly *familiar*, but not new, either. Barney leaning back into a corner of the sofa, eyes half-closed and legs up on the coffee table; and after the evening smushed together, Lee plopped down next to him without thinking, just watching Brando slowly getting pissed off on the set. 

He didn't notice when he started leaning Barney's way. Familiarity and gravity conspiring until he automatically shifted a fraction of an inch, his head looking for a place to rest, and he didn't comment as Barney hesitated at first, but then wrapped an arm around him, and Lee found that perfectly comfortable spot for his head, and they just sat there, relaxing, both of them half-dozing before they even got half-way through their beers. 

Weird comfortableness neither of them understood but neither really cared to think about. They'd had enough rough times not to go looking the gift horse in the mouth. Life was too shitty not to take what friendship and simple pleasures it bothered to give you.

\--

And somehow it turned into a habit: no longer just standing close, it was somehow natural to get that little bit closer to actually press shoulders. A little more time together in off-hours, work shared instead of handed-off. Meals an extension of that shared work. 

And yeah, there was the odd double-take from the guys, but it wasn't really that different from before. Gunner tried, but even he couldn't come up with a jibe on the spur of the moment. And if Doc's eyes gleamed, he wasn't quite the fool he pretended to be; between Christmas' still obvious dislike, and the way he could see Barney relaxing, he kept quiet. For now.

\--

A month later, the TV's on and Barney's sitting with his feet on the couch, head turned to watch it, sort of. But Lee stayed up half the night working on a model ship, not that he's admitting that to Barney, though he's not sure why, and he went from sitting, to leaning, to outright laying down, half on Barney, half on the couch; after poking and grunting and generally forcefully cuddling until Barney shifted into position. Just another quiet between-jobs Tuesday for Barney and Lee.

Until Lee's elbow shifted and Barney jerked sharply. And Lee dragged his head up, drowsy but still managing half-surprised half-amused raised brows, "What are you watching??" 

And Barney just kinda sat there at a loss, blinking down at Lee because he hadn't been really watching: somewhere along the way he just ended up watching Lee; quiet and just staring, not really thinking, and not really *noticing* that his shorts were getting tight... But content to just watch, and part of him wondered why Lee was so sleepy in the middle of the day, but then he found he didn't really care because he liked that Lee was relaxed and comfortable, and he liked that Lee was relaxed and comfortable around *him*. And Lee was trying to give him his sceptical look, but he was still half asleep so it was more of a pout that left Barney smiling softly.

Until Lee started to straighten, getting up, glancing at the set to see some weird *cartoons*, of all things, playing and blinking back at Barney's little problem before he shook his head, waking up to smirk at his old reserved pal, "Little afternoon wood, there, Barney?"

 

Barney was too used to ignoring the feeling, and sure as hell not used to having it brought up in conversation, that it took a few blinks to register the question. But when he did, he shrugged, "It has less to do with the afternoon and more to do with the guy on my lap." Hardly any hesitation because he's always been too comfortable around Lee; and right now he's too relaxed and comfortable to have the kind of doubting thoughts in his head that'd normally have him shutting this down. 

 

And it was one of the few times you could see Barney as himself, completely unfiltered, and Lee just blinked a couple times cause he really was kinda half-sleeping there, and that was... hell. The idea that this was *him*.. was crazy enough, but the idea of hearing Barney actually *say* it-

Then it actually clicks and he can feel the smile spreading over his face as his body just completely relaxes; careful not to cause pain, but otherwise pretty much melting on his willing pillow. "Yeah?" Eyes not budging from that stupidly heart-catching look of total open ease on Barney's face, he got one hand down to wrap lightly around the subject of conversation, "Need some help?"

**Author's Note:**

> sorry pastel, I thought about getting a chappy of Keeping up done for you birthday, but hit this first and there was a better chance would get it cleaned up to post than there was of getting brain to actually produce fresh KU


End file.
